Bad end to my last try at the AZTR. Having the Anything cage w/ full sleeping & cooking kit break off was the last straw. Jerry's pep talk yesterday had me motivated, but my poor logistical skill & bad luck doomed me.

Coming off Granite back in April to find you balled up and bloody was one of the scarier moments I have had cycling. I thought you were is really bad shape and it took some convincing to believe you weren't. Glad you got patched up and hate that it ended that run. Wishing you the best of luck on this one! You got this!!!

Yup, a WWF worthy pile driver when bungee went into front spokes. Maybe that's not the optimum method for transporting camp flipflops 😉  Strava said it was at 17.8 mph. broken left hand is the worst of it, as bad as my face looked it didn't need stichs. A copule of drops of super glue closed it up

Glad to hear you made it out ok and the worst of it was the hand. That was one hell of a yard sale and lots of blood from that cut over your eye. When I came up on you and Collin, I thought it was going to be much worse. Hope to catch back up with you again another time in better circumstances. Be well friend!

Thanks Kurt. 6 days left!

I'm driving into Tucson, parking my car at the airport, then riding to the start. In searching routes, my preference would be to ride to Sierra Vista, stay the night, then ride 92 south, then take W. Montezuma Canyon Rd over the pass. My concern is that I know you aren't supposed to ride bikes in the national monument. Is Montezuma Canyon Rd a legal route to ride?

Yes, most folks get dropped off at the 300 start line, the Parker Canyon Lake trailhead then ride to the start (due south on double track). Personally, I'm planning on parking at the Sierra Vista airport & riding to start (slightly longer on slightly better roads).

I plan on riding to the start as well. I'll be driving to Tucson, then riding south. What is your tactic? I am torn between coming from the north (Parker Lake) or the East (Coronado NM). My concern is that I don't have first hand knowledge of the area and can't find reliable info on the East route. I know bikes aren't allowed in the NM, but you should be able to ride on roads cars drive. Can you ride W Montezuma Canyon Rd in from the East?

Just when you think you are about ready...

Ended up with some rear hub issues on a ride over the weekend that amounted to a small bit of panic as I realized I need parts quickly. First searches turned up out of stock. Then our 2 year old car (which I’m driving to Tucson) throws a check engine light and the transmission gets stuck in a gear. Ack! I’m supposed to leave this coming Saturday!!

A parts order for hub components on overnight shipping looks to solve the bike issues (hopefully) and the car is at the dealer. Fingers crossed. Lesson to learn is things will go wrong. I got this! I hope everyone’s prep is wrapping up well. Not long now!!


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Leaning towards riding the 4peaks option if this is the future route. I certainly prefer dirt over pavemen and have done the paved route a few years back.  Who else is going the 4peaks route this year? John, what’s the likelihood this is mandatory next year?

I’m leaning towards it. Honestly with snow detours likely in play, having that bit of extra adventure may be a great time. Also, it earns me some trail cred I could use.


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John, I saw in the AZT e-newsletter that there is a re-route in the Canelos that has been completed. Will that be in play for us or do you already have it factored into the current GPS files?


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[call in during your ride!!]

MTBCast will be posting rider call-ins once again this year. Please save this number and call in during your ride!! It's a wonderful service for these bikepacking events in this world of Facebook & Intagram. This goes for ALL riders, both 300 & 750, we want to hear from you!! A huge thank you to Joe Polk for offering this.

888-866-4491

Thanks Joe!  Looking forward to calling in.

anyone have any insight on what the snow situation is like on the north rim, specifically getting to it on N. Kaibab?

Reading back through previous year’s threads (which have a wealth of information), I found this link:

http://www.weatherstreet.com/city_snow_depth/86052-North-Rim-AZ-snow-depth.htm

Looks like ~34” at the rim currently. That’s a foot less than last week. At that rate, we should be good at the rim. Current levels on that map still show upwards of 6’ along the plateau toward Jacob Lake. It will likely be road detour for most. For those unlucky enough to be railroaded by the same park ranger of note from last year or ballsy enough to take the trail, snow shoes would be a plus. Or just reach out to Rhino’s grandma. You know, rickshaw and all. It’s going to be one hell of an adventure and I can’t wait!!!


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I am planning on driving my self to Tucson, then somehow getting to the border for the 750 start, then riding to stateline, either hitching or riding to Page and renting a car to get back to Tucson and get my truck. Anybody out there see any issues with this plan?

Any suggestions on a way from tucson to the border, and where is a safe place to leave my truck?

Following this as I am doing similar. I plan to park at the Tucson Airport where my wife will be picking up the car to meet me at the Utah line. Long term parking is about $6/day for a covered spot.

My initial plan is to park Sunday night or Monday morning and head south for the start. I can fudge that a day or so either way. I'm not sure whether to take the East route (Sierra Vista) and ride roads or take the more direct-ish West route and go through Patagonia, grabbing a bit of pre-ride on the way. I'm interested to hear other's thoughts.

North Rim snowpack at 46”. Finally below 4’! There is hope yet!


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+1 on Steve's post. For TI, I used a cheap wired computer, resetting it at CP's. As the ride wore on and my mileage got off, I would reset at corners occasionally and do the math...keeps the brain engaged. Guitar Ted's cues were impeccable, making it a breeze for nav. Seeing as IW&R is closely connected, I would assume the same thought and care will go into their cues.

Three suggestions:
1- The Banjo Brothers cue holder suggested by Guitar Ted was great for the cues. Not sure if it is still available or not. Check their website.
2- Obviously protect your cues. They are your means to the end.
3- Don't get too caught up following the pack. It is nice to have other's around for the company, but the pack mentality can make lemmings out of folks. I had no navigation problems, but I passed a group debating over which way to go. In the end, a guy I know went with a group at that point because he thought they knew where they were going. They did not. Be meticulous and trust your gut.

Best of luck on your ride!!!

Kevin B does fantastic work and is very reasonably priced. I am using his GoPro handlebar mount which he machined to use with the 10mm tab on my Beacon, but he makes other pieces that might work for you.

http://www.pacifier.com/~kevinb/GoPro_Mounts.html

Im going for the Triple Crown Challenge, so have to start on the GD.

Best of luck to you in your quest. I am also seeking the Triple Crown. First piece, AZTR750. I’m not looking too much past that one for now. I have done some Divide research and read the threads on here for CTR. Lots of pieces to the puzzle to make it all work. One piece at a time.


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90 days from today folks! It will be here before we know it.

As I am a AZTR rookie, I am unfamiliar with many things, but I am aware that Scott Morris has done a phenomenal job directing this adventure. Kudos to you Scott and thank you for 12 years of history and passion. I am grateful for your creation and the legacy that I will have the chance to join this spring!

John, you have big shoes to fill, but from everything I have seen thus far, you are the perfect person to fulfill the role. Kudos to you for all you have done researching, laboring and stoking the AZTR! Congratulations!

I had hoped to meet the two of you when I come out for the race this year. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but I thank you both for what you have done/will do for the AZTR750/300!

I'm throwing my hat in the ring! Count me in on April 18th 2019 for the 300!! I've been dreaming of doing it for some time but never committed to it until this year, and I'm super stoked to line up at the start in Parker Canyon Lake April 18th! Thanks to everyone that helps organize this event especially, Scott Morris, John Schilingsworth, and for the wealth of information on the oneofsevenproject.com site by Craig Fowler and the many other like minds on this forum.

I was checking out the oneofsevenproject website today and decided to do something that I rarely do- download an Excel file from a website. I downloaded the AZT Resources spreadsheet, thinking there was some really good info in it. This evening I started having some firewall and permissions issues with my computer. It was the only file I downloaded today. This very well may have been only a coincidence, but I thought I would share with the group. Buyer beware, so to speak!

*Long sleeve socks - copyright Claire, my 17yo daughter

LOL!

Thanks John. Next question- I have seen the thread about sleep systems for the 300, but haven't ben able to find much of anything on the 750. Coming from the Midwest without reference, I am curious what others prefer when they get up north. I know there is a greater chance of precip and colder temps farther north. I am considering 20F+bivy. Overkill?